Cold chain logistics happen to be an imperative solution that sectors such as poultry and seafood, pharmaceuticals, food, chemical industries, and agricultural products need.
It is a fact that all products require personalised temperature settings, and apparently there is no standard temperature at which the products can be transported from one place to another. A minor temperature change during transit can damage the entire shipment. Hence, the criticality of temperature-controlled transportation happens to be really high. As per an insight, the worldwide cold chain market is anticipated to grow from almost $243 billion in 2021 to $648 billion by 2028, thereby showcasing a CAGR of 15.1%.
The fact is that today the world has come closer due to advancements in transportation as well as shipping services, thereby making the global market more accessible. All this is taking place since the cold chain logistics sector has matured and has also embraced technological interventions that are advanced in order to make sure that a temperature-controlled environment is there, managed, and maintained from the point of getting delivered to the last mile delivery venue. Let us have a look at the five best practises that are being followed across the world in the cold chain domain so as to enable fresh and hygienic transportation of products.
IoT helps in temperature maintenance as well as monitoring
IoT happens to be an incredible choice to track and report temperature at given points. It happens to be an efficient time management system that goes on to offer a cutting-edge alternative for reporting temperature across numerous points. IoT helps the systems get real-time data from the sensors that can be saved in an instant on a cloud server. This data can then be converted into emails, SMS, or WhatsApp texts and delivered remotely to the email box or mobile phone of the recipient. The hazards’ severity can be gauged by way of notifications as well as warnings, and thereafter, corrective actions can be taken. For the maintenance of a constant temperature as well as accuracy, the IoT platform makes sure that chamber gets tracked in real-time since the temperature settings happen to be standardised.
An automatic red alert is triggered so as to manage the set temperature in a uniformed way in both product and air and avoid a temperature drop, and corrective action gets taken. Notably, the unit comes with a GPS as well as a data logger so that the temperature can be monitored on site.
Quality control as well as management of compliance
Quality control management happens to play a pivotal role in the cold chain segment, mostly in terms of food and pharmaceutical products. It is crucial not to overlook quality at all times in the cold chain since it is imperative to maintain shelf life to the last mile delivery point. Apparently, there are several tools available to keep a check on and control the parameters. Service providers must ensure that these tools are integrated into their systems in order to share perfect products with the end customer while also making sure to stick to the compliance parameters with no compromises.
These quality management tools help in maintenance and also offer systematic approaches as well as alerts as and when they need to be on the lookout.
Quality and compliance happen to be the two most critical traits of the cold chain sector. They happen to cover regulatory licences, certification of food safety, and fire compliance. These happen to be a few statutory parts, so as to score more mileage on awarding new businesses.
Driver management, safety, and quality
Fleet and driver management happen to be one of the most important tasks across logistics. Making sure to train the drivers on a regular basis and also teaching them the aspects of product handling will go a long way towards protecting the asset as well as product quality.
That said, the logistics company must surely invest in the training as well as the welfare of the drivers. It is well worth considering that the job of a driver is high-risk, and they must be properly assisted to ensure their safety while on the road. It is highly recommended that consistent counselling and training sessions be conducted for them. While there is an incredible enhancement in the highway infrastructure and the government too works towards road safety, one needs to be mindful of certain roads where drivers can face challenges. This is where they need to be well trained to manage product safety.
A green initiative related to electric, solar, and PCM bases
Supply chain industries happen to be fully aware of the environmental hazards that their functionality faces. Resource optimisation happens to be a vital component across all businesses. Significantly, electricity happens to be a major cost factor across the cold chain domain. By way of technological upgrades, almost all the service providers have transitioned to solar as an electrical substitute. Due to this, GoGreen added value when it came to global warming as well as going on to benefit natural resources. Hence, making use of solar energy as well as EVs is one of the most ideal ways to have a sustainable green energy process. Besides the usage of EVs, instead of engines that work on diesel, PCM-driven technologies and industrial refrigerators are putting their efforts into the GoGreen initiative.
Engagement of customers
The experience of a customer with a company happens to be perhaps the most vital element in gauging whether or not the company is going to be retained by the consumer. The failure or success of a cold chain has a major impact on the customer’s experience. The present lean supply chain happens to be clashing with customer demands since it does not have resilience and focuses primarily on the efficiencies of the process.
The fact is that one needs to have a focused approach so as to know the customer, allow them to be a part of it, and also engage with the company. The cold chain, apparently, needs to transition from a process-driven and focused system to a customer-centric effort, which requires processes that are efficient.
Signing-off
There are several cold chain operatives worldwide; however, not all of them follow global benchmarks. Due to lack of basic standards and processes, these cold chain firms not only end up losing their profit margins but also end up trading off clients.
It is well to be noted that the cold chain is highly dependent on technology and its utmost utilisation. It is indeed high time that every firm relooks at its system and makes way for changes that not just benefit it but also the end customer.
